Aeronautical machine



A J. SMITH. AERONAUTICAL MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1918.

m 1.! n 9H v VS Mm r d w n m D RNEY A 1. SMITH. AERONAUTICAL MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1918.

35 257 Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"1411. TORNEY AnaonAurrcAL MACHINE.

T 0 all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A J. SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Hampton township, Bay county, and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeronautical Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an aeronautical machine and the like.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical and efficient aeronautical machine of comparatively inexpensive construction designed to carry explosives and adapted to fly in any desired direction and equipped with means for propelling it and for automatically discharging its contents after a predetermined interval.

vA further object of the invention is to provide an aeronautical machineor airship adapted to have its contents relesased ordischarged by a time fuse and provided with means for enabling it to be connected with a flying machine for enabling the latter to fly above and guide the explosive carrier or machine for guiding the same to the desired point for discharging its contents and also for guiding it back to the starting point to enable it to be refilled and used again.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an aeronautical machine constructed in accordance with-this invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device in posltion on the catapult;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the aeronautical machine in position on the catapult;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the spring and the retaining or supporting means;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig.7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the raising means for supportingthetrack or guiding means at the desired elevation;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the releaslng mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a sectional side elevation of the same;

Fig. 10 is a bottom plan of the vdoor releasing mechanism; and

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the same. I

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention'the aeronautical machine or explosive carrier comprises in its construction a body 1 tapered at its forward end and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

Application filed' April 29, 1918. Serial No. 231,386.

provided at the rear end with a platform 2 on which is mounted an en ine or motor for operating .a propeller 4 which is shown located at the back of the machine'but the same may be placed at any other desired point and any preferred number of propellers may of course be employed to obtain the desired speed and power for operating the aeronautical machine. The body of the machine is provided with three compartments 5 in whichthe explosives are carried, the compartments being preferably hopper shaped and having at the bottom thereof doors 6 preferably hinged as shown and maintained closed by locking means adapted to be released by a time fuse 7 The top of the body is provided with a door- 8 adapted to afford access to the compartments to facilitate the loading of explosives in the different compartments. The door may be omitted and the compartments may be left open at the top if desired. The

engine or motor 3 and the propeller 4 may be of any desired type and the rudder 9, for guiding the machine, is cut away to permit the 'operation of the propeller. The machine is equipped with horizontal planes or wings 10 braced by wires 11 and 12 and designed to be arranged in any preferred manner as the aeronautical machine may be of any type of aeroplane.

Mounted upon the top of the body 1 is a fuse carrying conduit 13 provided with three separate branches 14 leading from the said conduit .to the doors6 of the compartments 5. and each of the said branches is provided with a horizontally disposed section or memleer 15 having a swivel or pivotal connection at 16 and adapted to swing with the door 6 when the latter opens through the release of the same by the operation of the time fuse. The pivotal or swivel connection may be affected by the character of the coupling, as shown, but any other suitable means ma be employed for this purpose. The fuse which may be of any desired form terminates at a cord or flexible connection 17 secured at one end to the body of the machine or fixed portion of the same and connected at the other end to a springactuated bolt 18 which operates within a casin or housing 19. The outer end 20 of the olt is tapered and extends through a loop or staple 21 of a hasp 22 carried by the door 6. The bolt is provided at its inner end with a head 23 and a coiled spring 24 is interposed between the head of the bolt and the outer end of the casing or housing which has an opening through which'the bolt projects. The bolt is adapted to be drawn outwardly by the cord or flexible connection to engage its outer tapered end with the loop or staple of the hasp member 22 and when the fuse burns the cord or flexible connection and releases the bolt, the spring will carry the bolt inwardly into the casing and withdraw the same from engagement with the hasp 22 thereby releasing the door and enabling the latter to swing downwardly under the influence of the weight of the explosives contained in the compartment having the said door. When the doors of the compartments are released the explosives will be free to fall and it will be apparent that I have provided a simple and inexpensive means for releasing the explosive at any desired point.

A turntable 25 is employed for starting the machine from the ground. The turntable which has a suitable base 26 is provided with upwardly extending arms 27 to which are pivoted at 28, spaced parallel track members 29 including guides for the aeronautical machine and adapted to be swung upwardly and downwardly and also horizontally to arrange the guides or track members in any desired direction for start ing the machine. The track members are provided at their inner faceswith grooves 30 to receive rollers or wheels 31 carried by arms 32 located at opposite sides of the aeronautical machine and depending from the body thereof, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The outer portions of the track members are supported by jacks 33 which are adapted to tilt the track and support the same at the desired angle or inclination as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the turntable permitting the track members to be swung in a complete circle The inner grooves or ways 30 of the track members extend forwardly from the inner or rear portions of the said members and they are open at the top for about one half the length of the track members at the front or outer portions thereof. It will thus be evident that when the machine starts it is held in the grooves or ways of the track members until it is steadied and progresses about one half the length of the said track members and the open portions of thegrooves will permit the machine to rise from the track. -The jacks are provided with swiveled heads 34 swiveled to adjusta'ble members 35 and secured to the track members. The adjustable members 35 of the jacks are provided with suitable handles 36 for enabling them to be turned to extend or contract the jacks which are provided at "their lower' ends with suitable wheels 37 adapted to rest upon the ground and to facilitate the movement of the track members in swinging the same laterally to change the direction of the starting device. By adjusting the jacks the track members may be tilted upwardly or downwardly on their pivots 28.

When the aeronautical machine is started it is actuated by its propelling means and also by springs or resilient members 38 carried by brackets or supports 39 having posts 40 and 41. The brackets which are located at opposite sides of the device are preferably V-shaped as shown and are bolted or otherwise secured to the rails or track members and the posts are mounted on the brackets or supports at the outer portions thereof. The resilient members or springs are suitably secured at their outer ends to the posts 40 of the brackets or supports and they are adapted to bear intermediate of their ends against the posts 41 to enable them to be flexed and to exerta propelling force against the aeronautical machine which is adapted to be moved rearwardly on the track members or rails against the action of the springs in setting it or arranging it for operating. The free'ends of the springs engage the rear portion of the body of the "machine as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings and 1n order that the said springs or resilient actuating members may have sufficient tension to force the machine to leave the catapult with considerable force, adjustingscrews 42 are employed. The adjusting screws which are located at the rear portions of the track members are mounted in suitable nuts 43 and they are provided at their rear ends with hand wheels 44 and are connected at their front ends by ball and socket joints 45 with heads 46 having bearings 47 for the reception of terminal journals or gudgeons 48 of a transverse rock shaft 49. The rock shaft 49 is equipped adjacent to its ends with approximately L- shaped arms 50 extending forwardly and upwardly and adapted to engage recesses 51 in the under side of the body of the aero nautical machine. By this construction the aeronautical machine is detachably connected with the adjusting screws and is adapted to be drawn rearwardly by the same to bring the springs under tension. The body portion of the transverse rock shaft is preferably squared and is provided with a centrally arranged rearwardly extending arm or handle 52 having a suitable grip at its rear end and adapted to be operated to withdraw the spaced upwardly projecting arms 50 of the rockshaft from an engagement with the recesses 51 of the aeronautical machine to release the latter and enable the same to be actuated by the springs or resilient members and also by the propeller 4.

The aeronautical machine is equipped at the top with spaced eyes 53 or other suitable devices for enabling one or more cables to be connected with the aeronautical device so that the same may be suspended from an overhead flying machine and also for enabling a flying machine to guide the aeronautical machine to the point where the ex plosives are discharged and back again to the starting point for refilling the machine.

It will be seen that I have provided an aeronautical explosive carrying machine which is capable of carrying a large quantity of explosives and which requires no operator for directing the machine or for dropping the contents of the machine when the same has traveled the desired distance.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of spaced pivotally mounted track bars provided with guiding grooves open at the outer portions at the top, an aeronautical .machine having depending arms provided with laterally extending rollers or wheel enga 'ng the said grooves, and means for propel ing the aeronautical machine along the track bars.

2. The combination of a guide having spaced track bars, an aeronautical machine movable along the track bars of the guide, spaced supports projecting laterally beyond the track bars and provided with springs arranged to engage the aeronautical machine at opposite sides thereof for moving the said machine along the guide, and means for holding and releasing the aeronauticalv machine.

8. The combination of a guide Provided with a track, an aeronautical machine movable along the track of the guide, spaced brackets located at opposite sides of the track and extending laterally therefrom, transverse springs mounted in the brackets and arranged to engage the aeronautical machine at opposite sides thereof for propelling the same along the guide and means for holding the aeronautical machine against the action ofthe springs and for releasing the said machine.

4. The combination of a guide, an aeroe nautical machine movable along the guide, spaced brackets located at opposite ,sides of the guide and extending laterally therefrom, transversely disposed springs connected at their outer ends with the brackets and arranged to engage the aeronautical machine, posts located intermediate of the ends of the spring and forming fixed bearings for the same to enable the springs to be flexed, and means for holding and releasing the aeronautical machine.

5. The combination of a guide, an aeronautical machine movable along the guide, resilient means including springs for actuating the aeronautical machine, a rock shaft provided with means for engaging the aeronautical machine, and adjusting screws connected with the rock shaft for moving the same and the aeronautical machine against the action of the said springs to tension the latter, said rock shaft being movable to release the aeronautical machine.

6. The combination of a guide, an aeronautical machine movable along the guide, resilient means for actuating the aeronautical machine, spaced-bearings, a rock shaft mounted in the bearings and provided with arms arranged to engage the aeronautical machine, said rock shaft being also provided with an operating arm and adapted to be moved to carry the said arms out of engagement with the aeronautical machine, and adjusting means connected with the bearings for moving the same and the aeronautical machine to tension the resilient actuating means.

7. The combination of'a uide, an aeronautical machine movable aTon resilient means for actuating t e aeronautical machine, spaced bearin s, a rock shaft mounted in the bearings an provided with arms arranged to en age the aeronautical machine, said rock s aft being also provided with an operating arm and adapted to be moved to carry the said arms out of engagement with the aeronautical machine and adjustin screws connected with the bearings an provided with operating means, and fixed nuts engaged by the adjusting screws.

8. The combination of a guide having spaced track bars adapted to support and guide an aeronautical machine, means for mounting the track bars for vertical and horizontal pivotal movement, brackets extending laterally from the track bars, transversely disposed springs mounted in the brackets and arranged to engage the aeronautical machine at opposite sides thereof for propelling the said machine along the the guide,

guide, means located at opposite sides of the 7 machine for engaging the same to hold the machine against the action of the springs and an operating device located between the holding means for actuating the same simultaneously to replace the aeronautical machine.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

A J SMITH. 

